A 21-year-old man who caused a high-speed crash that killed three people while fleeing police at 140 mph has received what victims’ families and police unions describe as a “slap on the hand.”
Luis Leyba-Gonzalez pled guilty to nine felony counts in the Sept. 26, 2023 crash that killed 14-year-old Christian Leyba-Gonzalez, 32-year-old Jose Gonzalez Jr., and 21-year-old Makayla Hankins, who was driving the car hit by Leyba-Gonzalez’s Dodge Challenger.
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- 1 Judge Reduces Charges, Imposes Minimal Prison Time
- 2 Fatal High-Speed Chase
- 3 Community and Police Condemn “Miscarriage of Justice”
- 4 Families Left Without Closure
Judge Reduces Charges, Imposes Minimal Prison Time
According to court records and reports from the Indianapolis Star, Judge Jennifer Prinz Harrison dismissed six of the initial twelve felony counts, sentencing Leyba-Gonzalez only to three counts of resisting law police resulting in death.
Prosecutors wanted a 25-year prison term, while the defense requested a three-year sentence. In the end, the judge sentenced him to nine years in all, with just two years inside prison and the remainder served on probation and community corrections.
The judgment has drawn significant criticism, with victims’ families and law enforcement calling it “deeply unjust.”
Fatal High-Speed Chase
On the night of September 26, 2023, state troopers attempted to stop Leyba-Gonzalez, who was driving a Dodge Challenger with his younger brother and cousin inside.
Instead of halting, he sped away, reaching speeds of up to 140 mph before troopers called off the pursuit for safety reasons.
Moments later, Leyba-Gonzalez drove through a red light at 100 mph, colliding with Makayla Hankins’ automobile. She had gotten married just two weeks before.
Both Christian and Jose Gonzalez died on the scene. Hankins was brought to the hospital but died from her injuries shortly after.
“My first words were, ‘Is that all he got for killing three people?’” said Hankins’ grandmother, who raised her after her mother’s death. “That’s not justice. That’s a slap on the hand.”
Community and Police Condemn “Miscarriage of Justice”
The Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police released a public statement denouncing the punishment as a “miscarriage of justice.”
“Time and again, police leaders have raised red flags about the disproportionate incidents of low bonds, lenient sentences, and lackluster performance within the Marion County Criminal Justice System,” the organization said.
They pointed out that Judge Harrison had earlier placed Leyba-Gonzalez’s cash bond at $1,000 following the incident, which the FOP claimed demonstrated a pattern of judicial leniency.
“Cops are calling for backup for victims and their families,” the statement continued. “There must be equal protection under the law for the accused and the accosted.”
Families Left Without Closure
The victims’ families have criticized the court’s ruling as terrible, claiming it lessens the tragic loss of three lives.
Makayla Hankins, who was remembered by loved ones as sweet and full of life, had just celebrated her recent marriage when she died. Her grandmother stated that the family feels “betrayed by the justice system.”
As public indignation grows, community members and police supporters are pressing for sentencing reforms to guarantee that violent offenders are punished appropriately.
